"This is the trial I prepared for you... a Minotaur I've been training for the past week."

  Alfia's voice was quiet, almost indifferent, as she sat atop a nearby rock.

  With every step the monster took, Belle felt the vibrations ripple through the ground beneath her feet, each tremor drawing closer.

  "Don't mistake this Minotaur for the ones you've defeated before."

  Alfia continued, her tone never changing.

  "This trial won't end until you defeat it. I don't care if it takes days, weeks... or even months."

  A bead of sweat slid down Belle's cheek and dripped onto the stone floor below.

  At last, the Minotaur emerged from the shadows.

  Its crimson eyes never once left Belle as it exhaled heavily through its nostrils, hot steam bursting forth with each breath.

  After a week of Alfia's brutal training, it was noticeably different... its movements sharper, its presence heavier, radiating far more danger than any Minotaur Belle had faced before.

  "By my estimation."

  Alfia said casually.

  "It possesses combat power equivalent to a level three."

  "L–Level three?!"

  Belle's voice cracked as the words spilled out.

  "A–Are you serious?! That's... that's two whole levels above me!"

  Her throat tightened as she swallowed.

  "This is way too hard... How am I supposed to win something like that?"

  She turned to look at her aunt, desperation creeping into her eyes.

  Belle knew Alfia never made things easy... but this wasn't just difficult.

  Facing an opponent with such an overwhelming gap in strength was no different from a death sentence.

  "This is going too far!"

  She clenched her teeth.

  'I've beaten stronger opponents before...'

  The trio of Minotaurs.

  The plant monster during the Monster Feria.

  'But those were normal Minotaurs.'

  'And I only defeated that plant monster because I had help.'

  'Does she really expect me to keep pulling off miracle after miracle?'

  Alfia gave no reply.

  She didn't even look at Belle.

  Her silence... and the flat expression that plainly said deal with it... was answer enough.

  Seeing that, Belle let out a long, resigned sigh.

  She already knew her aunt's personality well enough.

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  The Minotaur stepped forward and released a savage roar before charging, its massive body surging ahead with terrifying force.

  'Looks like I don't have a choice.'

  'A hero... no matter how impossible the odds... always finds a way to prevail.'

  Belle forced her breathing to steady, recalling the heroes from the stories she loved so dearly.

  Her fear settled, replaced by resolve.

  Sword in one hand.

  Hestia Knife in the other.

  She lowered her stance, eyes locked onto the oncoming monster.

  Because she knew...

  Her time in hell had just begun.

  ...

  Back on the 37th Floor, the battle raged on.

  Judas could feel the ground trembling as the clash between Ais and Udeaus intensified.

  Black bone spikes erupted relentlessly from the ground wherever Ais stepped, tearing through the floor in violent bursts.

  Thankfully, her footwork was flawless... she weaved between them with ease, never breaking her momentum as she closed the distance toward the floor boss.

  Sensing the threat of her approach, Udeaus seemed to frown, slamming both of its massive hands into the ground.

  The earth ruptured once more, but this time skeletal figures clawed their way out from below, locking their hollow, hostile gazes onto Ais.

  'Those are Spartoi...'

  Judas recognized them instantly.

  Skeleton-type monsters with strength around Level 4.

  They could spawn wielding a variety of weapons... and more importantly, they knew how to use them.

  Among the monsters native to the 37th Floor, they ranked among the strongest.

  Judas quickly assessed the situation.

  Over a hundred of them.

  Just that army alone would be enough to wipe out more than half of the Familias currently active in Orario.

  'I'm surrounded.'

  Ais realized it at once, her expression tightening... but she didn't hesitate.

  "Tempest!"

  A violent emerald wind exploded around her body, roaring like a living storm.

  She raised her sword, ready to swing and erase everything in her path.

  Only for several beams of light to flash past her.

  The air screamed.

  The Spartoi were engulfed in an instant.

  When the dust settled, the skeletal army was gone... reduced to scattered legs and shattered remains, their upper bodies completely vaporized.

  Ais blinked, momentarily stunned, before turning her head.

  Judas stood with one finger extended, multiple magic circles hovering calmly around him.

  Nearby, Riveria spun her staff and crushed the skulls of the few Spartoi that had spawned closer to her, each strike decisive and effortless.

  "We'll handle the Spartoi."

  Judas said evenly.

  "Focus on Udeaus."

  Ais nodded without hesitation.

  Fwoosh

  Instinct screamed.

  She twisted away just in time as a massive skeletal fist crashed down where she had stood moments earlier, the impact sending rock and debris flying.

  With the Spartoi taken care of, Ais redirected her full attention to the floor boss.

  She crouched low, muscles coiling tight like steel springs.

  Then she launched herself forward.

  The ground shattered beneath her feet as she accelerated... an all-out charge focused on speed and raw attack power.

  "Tempest!"

  With her blade and figure wrapped in Ariel, Ais struck downward in a single, decisive arc.

  The emerald wind screamed.

  Udeaus' arm was severed cleanly at the joint, crashing to the ground several meters away with a thunderous thud.

  For a brief moment, even Judas and Riveria halted their movements to witness the scene.

  "Amazing..."

  Riveria murmured under her breath.

  Udeaus was a Monster Rex she had only ever defeated through coordinated teamwork.

  The fact that Ais was challenging it alone was impressive enough... but to cripple it like this...

  'She cut off its arm.'

  Riveria couldn't deny it.

  What Ais had just accomplished was something that would be difficult even for her.

  The wounded Udeaus let out a furious scream, its malice surging as clusters of bone spikes erupted toward Ais.

  She twisted her body mid-step, narrowly avoiding the piercing assault before leaping backward and landing in a safer area.

  'I couldn't follow through completely...'

  Ais tightened her grip on her sword.

  'But for now, Udeaus should be weakened.'

  Ais tightened her grip on her sword.

  Just as she was about to launch another attack, the sight before her forced her to halt mid-step.

  To the side of Udeaus, the ground split apart as a massive spike erupted upward... its form gradually taking shape until it unmistakably resembled a sword.

  'Udeaus... has a sword?'

  A flicker of disbelief crossed Ais' eyes.

  'I've never seen anything like this before.'

  Throughout the entire history of the Dungeon, only a handful of individuals had been reckless enough to challenge a Monster Rex alone.

  Even the Loki Familia, despite their countless expeditions, had only ever defeated Udeaus as a group.

  Because of that, a hidden condition had gone undiscovered.

  When faced by a single opponent, Udeaus would manifest a colossal black sword.

  The giant skeletal monster wrapped its hand around the hilt as the blade tore free from the ground, then swung it toward her without hesitation.

  Just one swing was enough to completely overturn the tide of battle.

  'If I don't avoid that... I'll die.'

  For the first time since the fight began, Ais Wallenstein felt the breath of death wash over her.

  ---

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